The Tenth Skin
by ScheherazadeTellerOf1001Tales
Summary: A monster who devours his brides demands another. When Matthew's sister is chosen he's not about to let her go to certain death. With the help of some magical advice Matthew goes to slay the monster. Things do not go according to plan. PruCan. Inspired By "Prince Lindworm"


**AN: Okay I've wanted to write this for awhile and I finally got around to it. I didn't want to use one of the really well-known fairy tales, so I went with a Scandinavian one I found in the library. I changed some stuff around with it though. I hope you enjoy. Originally I'd planned on using the Nordics, since it is their tale, but I thought Prussia and Canada fit my ideas better than Sweden and Finland or Norway and Denmark.**

***Hungarian Goddess of Childbirth**

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

_"a Rose is a Rose is a Rose"_

_ There was once a King and Queen who seemed to possess all they could desire. Their kingdom was prospering and there was peace after the long wars of their youth. They found love in their marriage and faithfulness, which was something neither had seen in their parents' unions. _

_ The King was an artistic, musical man who was a slender dark haired beauty. He filled his time with state affairs, being a patron of the arts, his music, and his wife. The King rarely spent money unless for the good of his realm, so the kingdom's coffers stayed full unlike during the times of his overindulging father. The Queen was a warrior princess of the Western Clans. She was a much loved beauty who disliked the double dealing of court and was in charge of all military matters. The Queen was always training young sons, noble and common, foreign and domestic, in war craft. She was famed for her poweress in battle and for keeping and protecting the Old Ways. As an accomplished horsewoman and huntress, the Queen was the opposite of the composer spendthrift King, but they loved each other completely._

_ There was only one sadness in their union. One quietly festering matter of disention in almost ten years of matrimony. The Queen had yet to bear an heir, or any child at all. Her enemies called her barren and her friends fretted that she would be set aside as the former King had done his first wife. the King never let his disappointment or worry show, supporting his beloved wife month after month when no news of pregnancy was announced. the Queen never allowed even her husband to see her secret unease, but inside it ate at her._

_ Then a month before their tenth anniversary things changed._

** }-;-**

"That one has spirit. What was his name Yao?" Queen Elizabeta asked the Training Master of her knights, wiping the slight sheen of sweat she'd managed to work up from the Testing this morning. It was a rare accomplishment indeed for recruits to be able to manage such a thing and spoke volumes for this years applicants, something that pleased the young woman emensely. Smiling happily, Elizabeta turned to look at Yao, green eyes curious at his lack of immediate response. The small man from the large Eastern Kingdom was wrinkling his nose at the rather disgruntled and thoroughly defeated youth. Relizing she'd asked him a question he straightened and Elizabeta repeated herself, wondering quietly why the man was so off this morning.

"Yong Soo," Yao told her, his brown eyes annoyed, though not, Elizabeta relized instantly, with his Queen. "He's bothersome and a horible braggart."

Elizabeta noted with interest and a raised brow the unusual snapping and tension radiating from her usually calm Training Master. Then Elizabeta turned to Yong Soo, catching his movement out of the corner of her eyes and turning to track it instinctively. The boy was looking up at Yao hopefully, his dark eyes utterly smitten. The Training Master also noticed this and gave the boy an icy look. Yong Soo's face fell giving him the look of a puppy who'd just received a sudden beating from a much beloved master. Shoulder's slumped in dejection the boy allowed his friends among the recruits to help him to his feet and limp away looking crushed. For a moment something like guilt twisted in Yao's face, but just as swiftly it was gone.

Elizabeta licked her lips, eyeing the pair with interest and felt a sudden delightful inspiration.

"Allow the boy to wallow a little in his defeat to humble him a bit and then inform him of his acceptance into training. He last much longer than the others. A whole five minutes by my reckoning." Elizabeta said sweetly, barely containing her glee as schemes involving her Training Master and the young recruit floated pleasantly in her mind. Yao looked horrified and elizabeta had to bite back a wicked smile as she continued.

"And Yao, I want _you_ to tell him."

Elizabeta walked away before the man could recover a new skip in her step at what she was sure would be another magnificient coupling. Her slender advisor and the youth looked like they'd make the most _enjoyable_ couple. Almost as good as the ex-Captain of the Queen's Guard, Berwald, and the runaway Prince Tino with his little two year old son by his dead wife. The controversial couple had been returned safely back to Tino's homeland to take back what was rightfully Tino's throne and were now much beloved as King Tino and Queen Berwald.

As Elizabeta walked the castle grounds her good mood soon began to waver in face of the cold greetings she received from nobles and servants alike. Elizabeta was still greeted warmly by the majority, but the cold greetings were an alarming number greater from a year, no even a month before. It made the uneasy feeling that had been clawing at her recently come to the forefront of her mind. She didn't let them see though and kept a smile until she was on a familiar path in the Royal Forest. Elizabeta relaxed allowing the strain of the chilly conduct she'd received the last month show in a way she never would have anywhere else.

The forest was empty as she'd known it would be. No one, save she, came here anymore unless she led one of her rare group hunts as Elizabeta much prefered being alone when she hunted. The Royal Forest had once been a favorite of young lovers, Roderich and herself had came here when they'd began courting. After Roderich had redone the royal garden in a rare moment of self-indulgence though the amourous couples of the palace had held their secret liasons in quiet alcoves of the elegant gardens. Elizabeta was rather thankful for it. The Royal Forest was now the only place Elizabeta could have complete privacy.

The whispers of the court rarely bothered Elizabeta, who stayed out of cour intrigues, unless it was to end one that gre too dangerous or too annoying. This one though could prove more dangerous than any of the petty squabbles between nobles. It would be her tenth anniversary soon. A decade and no children. The nobles were growing restless, the people pitying, and their more ambitious neighbors eager for the ripe pickings civil war would make them. Roderich needed and heir. The kingdom needed a prince. Elizabeta longed for a daughter. So far she had failed them all, even herself.

If she ddin't conceive soon war would come, sooner rather than later. It was even more unsure about what direction it would come from. Overeaching nobility or land mongering neighbors. Or even worse Roderich would have to set her aside for the good of the kingdom. The thought made Elizabeta sick, knowing Roderich would never willingly do what his father had done, yet neither could he allow their kingdom to fall into strife and chaos. It would fall to Elizabeta to either convince her husband to become his worst nightmare and lose him to another woman or allow him to be overthrown protecting her and lose him to an executioner's blade. Elizabeta knew which of the horrifying choices she would choose if it came down to it. She could never condem such a good, loving man to death.

Elizabeta knew Roderich still had hope. Everytime they failed to sire a child he would give her the smile only she got to see and give her a sweet kiss, promising quietly "Next time Lizzy." while he held her tenderly the rest of the night, sometimes as she cried. Elizabeta and a good portion of the court didn't hold the same optimism. She was too the point of giving up, something she had never, ever done before. But she'd tried everything she could think of. Elizabeta had prayed to her ancient gods, prayed to her husbands, even prayed to Yao's foreign deities whose names she couldn't pronounce correctly much less understand. When prayer failed she turned to medicine, consulting one doctor after another. All had promised a miracle and none had helped her. Now she was forced to got to the third option.

Magic.

Magic, in her husband's country, was something feared and evil. In her old home among the Clans, magic had been respected and those bearing it were considered blessed especially by the gods. Elizabeta's own mother had been a skilled healer, unfortunate Elizabeta had not inherited any gifts. Without her own gifts to use, Elizabeta would have to find someone in the kingdom who was magical, a difficult feat since the users of magic in this kingdom by now had over two hundred years of practice in being unseen. Just finding someone would be a miracle. Convincing them to help her would be nothing short of an Act of the Gods. Not to mentions all the risks that came with involving magic in a land where it was widely hated.

It could be worth it though.

"It would indeed dearie." a voice said behind her, breaking the absolute silence of the forest.

Elizabeta had a sword pressed perilously against the speaker's throat before she recognized the voice. The woman she was threatening chuckled. Blushing, elizabeta lowered the blade under the knowing green gaze of the elderly woman.

"You startled me. My apologizes, Mistress Alice." Elizabeta murmured apologetically, forgetting the woman's words in her embarassment at threatening the seamtress who'd always been kind to her. Even during the War Years when she'd just been the ill-favored captive daughter of the former King's worst enemy. Misstress Alice, the former Queen, and Roderich had been the only ones kind to her while she'd been a prisoner of war. The caed princess.

Mistress Alice was not in fact married. She was given the respectful title purely by virtue of her long and loyal service to the crown. She had been the midwife at the former King's birth, had been a good friend to Elizabeta's mother-in-law, and was still a favorite of Elizabeta, making some of the loveliest gowns quicker than any other seamstress or tailor in the kingdom.

"Is there something you need?" Elizabeta quesstioned politely, wanting dsperately to be alone, but liking the old woman too much to just excuse herself. Mistress Alice's ancient, deeply lined face was sympathetic and compassionate. Her bright green eyes glowed etherally, an impossibe color, lighter and incredibly different from Elizabeta's own dark emerald ones. It was then that the woman's statement registered. Elizabeta went cold and amost spoke, but those glowing eyes seemed t pierce her making the words die in her throat. How had the woman known what she was thinking?

"It's not I who is so heavy with sadness. Now tell old Alice why a lovely, strong young Queen with a loving husband can be so bleak when an old crone like myself is not." Mistress Alice said cajolingly, compelling and as warm as a mother's embrace erasing the cold unease Elizabeta had felt with those few words.

It came pouring out of Elizabeta before she cold stop herself, even if she had wanted to. She told the old woman everything, her eyes burning, but refusing to cry. All her fears and shattered hopes, Roderich's heartbreaking hope, the dangerous whispers of the court, and what she'd considered in order to fix it. And most terrible for Elizabeta to admit, the knowledge that she would fail and that her only option was to leave Roderich in order to save him. She felt almost relieved to have it all off her chest at last. At the same time apprehension pricked her like thorns as she waited for the old woman's reaction.

"I have helped those not less unhappy than you. I know no ill is without rememdy." Mistress Alice assured her. For a moment Elizabeta couldn't believe she'd heard correctly. Looking into those confident, ancient green eyes though Elizabeta felt a fearful hope well up in her, drying her mouth and forming a lump in her throat. Blinking back tears, Elizabeta nodded for the woman to continue.

"Listen _carefully_! Tonight, at the reddest glow of sunset, take a small two-handled goblet and place it upside down on the ground in the north-west corner of your garden. Tomorrow, at the palest gleam of sunrise, raise it again, and underneath you will find two roses on a single stalk, one white and one red. If you eat the red rose, you shall give birth to a son, but if you eat the white rose you shall give birth to a daughter. But, whatever you do, you must not eat _both _roses, or you'll pay a terible price-I'll warn you once more! Only eat _one_!"

Elizabeta nodded, understanding that the forces of magic were not to be taken lightly. That was a lesson her mother had drilled into her constantly when she was younger.

"Thank you." Elizabeta told her old friend earnestly, excusing herself to return to the palace heart pounding with an excitement and ferverant hope that had so long been absent.

Mistress Alice shook her head looking grim. A ripple in the air blurred the sight of her and in her place was a young man in his mid-twenties with short blond hair and those same acid green eyes watching the Queen hurry back, face pained.

"Don't thank me yet You Majesty." Something dark and solemn made those green eyes snap. "First you have to be sucessful and you no longer have me to save you."

If anyone had been looking they would have seen the millenia's old young man disappear in a swirl of his green cloak.

** }-;-**

_They young Queen did just as she was told and early the next morning crept to the garden. As the "woman" had said there were two roses under the goblet. After a careful debate the Queen ate the white rose and prepared to leave. As she did though the Queen felt a shiver go through her and a strange thought occured to her.__** If I eat the other rose I would have two children! An heir and a sweet princess to love.**__ Still she tried to leave remembering the warning, but the lingering taste of the first rose caught her attention now. The rose had been the most amaing thing she'd ever tasted. Was it possible that the other rose could be even better. __**What could it hurt?**__ A quiet voice whispered in the Queen's mind and swaying slightly the Queen bent back down and ate the red rose too avoring the taste as it rolled over her tongue._

_ Within three months the news spread of the miraculous pregnancy and the Queen and King were even happier. Finally close to the end of nine months the King had to go on a trip to discuss an alliance with another kingdom. The Queen gave him a smile as he departed and went to walk in the Forest were she had last seen the old woman who'd been her savior. Almost the moment she'd arrived in the place she'd spoken to the woman the Queen went into labor. Alone the Queen delivered twins._

_ The younger was a baby boy, small but healthy. The older was a horrifying mixture of man and serpent. A Lindworm._

** }-;-**

"Boldogasszony* have mercy!" Elizabeta screamed as she caught sight of the creature she had just given birth too. Without thinking she brought the second child to her chest protectively as she received her first good look at her first born. It was a horrifying sight, pure white and bloody sking scaled and its shape malformed, serpentine. The creature heard her, dark red eyes meeting her green ones. Elizabeta's breath caught at what she saw there.

_Pain_. _Fear_. _Confusion_. Something swelled in her that had nothing to do revlsion or terror. The unshakable knowledge that this was also her child, that she'd carried and cherished this creature for months and now that precious life was hurt. Weak and shaken, Elizabeta reached out her hand for the creature. It flinched, but when Elizabeta paused lifted its head so she could see better. Despite his srpentine body its face was almost like a human's only scaled and without a nose or lips. It eyes though were undeinably human. Even more slowly, so as not to scare it Elizabeta reached down and touched the creature, no child. She was surprised to find it warm, as warm as the little bundle tucked against her chest at the moment. Its little brother.

Gently Elizabeta stroked its small scaly body until it relaxed giving a hissing sound of pleasure, before bumping it head gently against her outsreached hand. Then to her surprise, the child-creature uncurled from its position to reveal a more human shape with arms. Elizabeta pushed aside the shiver of unease the seen caused her and very gently she scoped the child-creature up, settling him against her chest aside the younger brother. Looking the child-creature over she realized that it was in fact a _he_. Taking a shaky breath and trying not to cry with two pairs of inquisitive eyes on her Elizabeta looked towards the sky. It would be getting dark soon and she was still too weak to move. Someone would come find her, Yao knew her habits and would search for her, but she wasn't sure how long it would take the man to decide she wasn't simply off dealing with Roderich's departure. She would be fine, but her sons were a lot more sensitive to any sort of chill, no matter how mild.

A gurgling noise and movement distracted her from her thoughts drawing her back to the childrne. The child-creature had manuevored himself so that he was eye to eye with his brother, tail curling around him. His small white hand gently touched the soft blond hair of his younger sibling earning him another gurgling sound from the boy, who was wacthing him with fascinated blue eyes. The child-creature withdrew his hand from the blond hair and after a moment of examining his brother suddenly curled around him, small arms tucking him into his side, head snuggling next to his brothers. Both babies smiled.

Elizabeta swallowed hard knowing very well that infants were not supposed to be able to smile so early, much lees understand as much as her children seemed to. Names, she decided. Names first and then she could try getting to her feet. Roderich and she had already discussed them of course, but she found herself no longer favoring the ones they'd decided on.

Maximillian and Wolfgang didn't seem to fit.

"Ludwig," Elizabeta decided as she looked at her youngest, remembering Roderich's fondness for a composer by the same name. The child looked at her for a few seconds, before settling back into his brother's grasp. Red eyes were already looking at her expectantly.

Elizabeta's heart gave a hard thud. Those eyes, despite their color, put her in mind of someone very different. Someone with loud laugh, cocky attitude, and a smile that never failed her. It had been years since she'd thought of him. Her childhood idol. Only four years her elder, but when she was younger it had seemed like decades. He'd always made time for her teaching her how to hunt, how to fight, and never laughing at her desire to be more than a wife or mother. The last time she'd seen him had been his execution while she'd been a captive. A princess was worth something. A sheperd's son who'd worked his way to become her bodyguard? Useless.

"Gilbert." Elizabeta said and felt the rightness of it settle over her and she almost couldn't bite back the sob that threatened to burst out of her. Gilbert's eyes didn't leave her and one of his hands left Ludwig to reach towards her, but before she could see what he meant to due the child stiffened, eyes shooting in the opposite direction a fierce warning hiss coming from his mouth to reveal small fangs. Elizabeta followed his gaze, but before she could fully lift her head a hand covered her eyes pressing her back painfully against the tree she leaned against. a scream worked its way from her chest as an unbearble cold spread through her, followed by a burning pain. Dimly she heard Gilbert hissing furiously and Ludwig's accompanying wails, Elizabeta tightened her grips on the children instantly.

"I'll be taking the little one." a cool feamle voice informed her and the hand withdrew along with the pain. Elizabeta collapsed even weaker than before clinging to the children in her arms with all she had. She couldn't move, couldn't see more than a blurs of colors and deep icy inhuman blue eyes.

"No." Elizabeta gasped realizing what the woman had said. Elizabeta felt two hands easily break her grip around the twins. "_**NO**__!"_

"Do be silent, I won't be taking them both." the woman snipped, irritated, but absolutely cold. Gilbert gave a shrieking hiss and Elizabeta screamed along with Ludwig as she felt the sudden loss of the child in her arms.

"Irritable little prince." the woman said over Elizabeta's protests, Gilbert's hisses, and Ludwig's painful wailing. she sounded amused and sure enough the woman chuckled. "Prince Lindworm! what a thought."

"Give me my son back!" Elizabeta demanded, vision becoming sharper, but still not enough to make out the woman's features beyond those horrible souless eyes.

This made the woman laugh, long and hard. It was both beautiful and horrible all in one and it sent a wave of numbing cold through Elizabeta silencing her, the twins too. Utter silence reigned as unholy sound sent waves of horror and despair into Elizabeta's very core. Slowly the laughter subsided and Elizabeta felt more than heard or saw the woman bend down to be face to face with her. A cool sickly sweet breath blew on her.

"You are the only woman I've ever met to actually acknowledge one of these creatures. To claim them." the woman sounded bemused and thoughtful. "I'm not too fond of surprises and something tells me that your one of _those _people. The ones who don't know when to stop and will keep coming after me even if its for this _thing_."

"That won't do."

Elizabeta didn't know rather she screamed, she didn't know anything after the woman's hand covered her eyes again. Nothing but pain. Searing, excrutiationg pain, not just in her body, but somewhere else, some place she couldn't quite name. It felt as if someone was attempting to rip something out of it that wasn't supposed to be ripped. Seeming to realize it wasn't going to come of, the pain twisted the piece over and over, digging further and further into the space it was, piercing through places that shouldn't be touched and finally leaving the piece there and a whole where it should have been.

Slowly the pain faded and elizabet found herself on her side next to a tree. She had a momentary flash of something awful and white, but when she looked into her arms all she saw was the twisted up crying face of her son, Ludwig. A moment of unease gripped her when she thought that. _Son_. It felt as if something was wrong. a name came to her, but that didn't make any sense. She only had one child and she'd named him Ludwig. Feeling strangely bereft of something she couldn't remember lossing Elizabeta said one word.

"Gilbert."


End file.
